David Elgarico came from Oregon in July to run MetroWest Medical Center. Now he's out
FRAMINGHAM — MetroWest Medical Center is looking for its fifth chief executive in as many years, as David Elgarico has resigned just six months after moving across the country to take the job.
The news casts yet another challenge for the embattled hospital, which endured its most recent dose of criticism when city officials learned it had diverted ambulances arriving with women in labor during two recent holiday weekends — Dec. 24-25 and again on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 — due to insufficient staffing.
Shelly Weiss, director of public relations for Tenet Healthcare, the Dallas-based company that owns and operates MetroWest Medical Center, confirmed to the Daily News that Elgarico has stepped down, effective immediately. She said Elgarico will return to Oregon, where his family lives.
John Whitlock, who is chief financial officer at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester (also a Tenet hospital), will serve as interim CEO for MetroWest Medical Center, according to Weiss.
More:After service, personnel changes, what's going on at MetroWest Medical Center?
Elgarico came to MetroWest Medical Center from McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Oregon, where he served as chief executive and oversaw the largest revenue-generating hospital in the Quorum Health system, according to a prior MWMC announcement. He succeeded Ava Collins, who announced her resignation last April after 16 months on the job.
Collins succeeded Drew Harding, who was promoted from chief nursing officer to CEO in 2018 after Jeffrey Liebman left.
More:Ambulance diversions are latest cause for concern at MetroWest Medical Center
MetroWest Medical Center has been under fire in recent months from local politicians and stakeholders who have spoken out about its reduction in local services.
Last year, the hospital announced that it would end treatment services at its cancer center, which led to Tufts Medical Center being brought in to run that service. MetroWest Medical Center also ended on-site interpreter services. And last April, the hospital instructed emergency personnel to divert patients due to an IT issue.
Whitlock will be joined by Naomi Seymour, who is being brought in to be interim chief nursing officer — Daniel Wright resigned from that position earlier this month. Seymour is an associate chief nursing officer at a Tenet facility in Florida.
MetroWest Medical Center has cited staffing issues involving nurses as an issue that has led to the ambulance diversions, and previous nurses have spoken out, saying the hospital pays far lower rates than the area standard.
MetroWest Medical Center includes Framingham Union Hospital, at 115 Lincoln St. in Framingham, and Leonard Morse Hospital, at 67 Union St. in Natick. The latter is focused on behavioral health.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: MetroWest Medical Center chief executive David Elgarico resigns
